Rewind Review: 2011’s ‘Enter Nowhere’

When I saw that Enter Nowhere was an Official Selection at Screamfest 2011, I assumed I’d be watching a Horror movie.

Enter Nowhere is a psychological thriller written by Shawn Christensen and Jason Dolan and directed by Jack Heller. This film is lite on gore, violence, sex, and swearing. For the life of me, I can’t even figure out how it warranted an R rating without boobs or f-bombs. Obviously, it was a tamer movie-viewing experience than I had expected. Still, I can’t deny that Enter Nowhere was a really good, entertaining, trippy, and well produced piece of cinema.

Read my review after the jump.

Official Synopsis: Three strangers arrive one by one to a mysterious cabin in the middle of nowhere after enduring separate life-altering predicaments. Searching for a way out of the woods, frustrated, hungry and battling to stay warm they discover their mysterious connection and realize what they have to do in order to get out of the woods alive.

OK, we’ve got a motley trio of strangers in a cabin who can’t find their way out of a thick, Evil Dead-esque forest. Purgatory, right? It’s gotta be Purgatory.

Not necessarily.

Clearly, something supernatural is afoot. Whether it’s Purgatory, or a dream, or alien abduction, the real mystery in Enter Nowhere has to do with connections between the characters. They’re hardly the strangers they think they are. Things take a chaotic turn when a fourth shows up at the cabin speaking German and sporting full Nazi attire.

Try to find scientific, rational explanations, or a set of “rules” to this unique convergence, and you’ll end up with a slew of plot holes. Best to treat Enter Nowhere like you would an episode of The Twilight Zone: Metaphysical at best, pseudo-religious at worst.

Enter Nowhere is a morality tale and a warning to those who might waste their lives with crime or selfishness. As the characters struggle to find a way out of the wilderness, they are also processing past traumas and lamenting tragic choices. Redemption may be an option, but only if they can learn to work together towards a common goal.

This film has some really good twists and turns. It’s not rocket science, but there’s enough to keep the gray matter humming. Enter Nowhere may not qualify as Horror, but it’s not a weak film—not even slightly. It’s smart, serious, creative, and engaging. OK, the ending is super cheesy, but it could have been worse.

This is one that Horror aficionados can enjoy alongside their less daring movie-watching peers. It’s also a great starter for younger aficionados who might be getting bored with the likes of Twilight, The Hunger Games, or formulaic slasher offerings.